Real Decorating for Real People
Pom-poms are a fun family craft and they can be used for a variety of things besides making them into bouquets. Try adding a loop of yarn and hang then anywhere you’d hang a tassel! Tie them to hats, purses or shoes. Attach them to your luggage so it stands out in the crowd! The…
Don’t let your shower curtain – the main fabric in your bathroom – be boring! Try some of these creative ideas for pumping up it’s style! You know, surprisingly enough, as simple as a shower curtain might seem, I have a lot to say about sewing a shower curtain. Yes, they are basically a flat panel…
No two Valentine’s are the same, so why buy them all the same gift? This list helps you select just the right gift for just the right personality. OK, it’s time to update the list of gift ideas for Valentine’s Day this year. And since there are so many different personalities out there, we’ll break…
I’m sure you think it’s crazy that someone writing articles about interior design would suddenly start writing about the psychology of parenting a teenager. Well, I have found that I can find some common ground with my teens when we talk about making their rooms look cool or “awesome”. Even if we are in the…
Sometimes it’s the colors and other times it might be the pattern that makes for a peaceful nursery. We’ll tell you what we did to get the best results. I know that not too often do the terms “peaceful” and “nursery” go together, but it is possible to create that illusion. And, sometimes the illusion…
This cloud shaped cornice was part of our peaceful nursery design but we thought it could go in any child’s bedroom because it was so light, airy and happy! Sometimes the simplest projects can be the most fun. While working on an infant’s room, the mom wanted soft clouds to surround her new baby. So Shari and…
Two of these four make the bathroom function well too, like plenty of counter space and storage. It’s the design statement and accessories that make it beautiful! Bathrooms are certainly worth talking about when it comes to decorating because we do spend plenty of our time in them. And, it’s important to get them done…
That’s right, if you can clean your garage up enough to fit in some tables and a buffet table, you can probably put on a pretty nice party that is saf from the weather, be it heat or rain! When I was kid, my parents had a house with an attached single car garage. I…
If you like tomatoes whether cooked or cold, this cold summer gazpacho soup would be a good choice for you to try. There are so many really good recipes for gazpacho, but they all use just about the same ingredients. Sometimes the type of tomato used changes, for instance this calls for plum tomatoes but…
Chicken on skewers means there’s fun in the air. Add to it a tropical medley of fruits and veggies and you might as well be on island time! The original recipe we found called for grilled sea bass, but our taste buds were calling for chicken. So, we made the tropical salsa and used it…
Pudding mixed with fruit, how can you go wrong? And, with the underlying coconut flavor, this recipe is perfect for a summer time or tropical themed party. Unfortunately, I don’t really enjoy coconut, so this recipe will not make it into my file of favorites, but coconut lovers, this might be just the dessert for…
We chose this rainbow chopped salad to go with a tropical theme party we were hosting and the fruit and nuts mixed together made it great! My good friend Sharlee helped me out with these recipes since she lives very close to where we were shooting this episode. Since I travel from Florida, bringing food along…
If you are one of those blessed couples that have a baby on the way, you might be interested in a couple fun and functional ideas for your nursery! Grandmothers and Grandfathers, this could be interesting to you as well. Matt Fox, my decorating partner, and I have decorated quite a few nurseries in our…
White on white color schemes expand the look of a room and create crisp, clean and fresh spaces. You know I find it interesting that in the hundreds of rooms that Matt and I have decorated, we’ve only done one room in a simple white on white color scheme. Or I guess I should say it…
Certain times of the year are prime for clearing out clutter, so when that time comes, here are some tips to help you through the family junk drawers! Well, the holidays are over, faster than usual this year. (Sigh!) I do enjoy every minute of the holidays, but there’s the whole feeling of starting anew…
Read through these tips and apply the ones that are new to your master bedroom and I promise you’ll be happy with the results. The easiest way to explain tips for decorating a master bedroom is to start with a master bedroom that needs some decorating! Well, here is a master bedroom that needs some help. …
It sounds like there won’t be enough to eat, but there will be plenty left overs if you’ve done it right! What is a tasting party? Well, the ladies will get it, but the guys will think there’s just not going to be enough food!! Here’s the idea, offer up a larger variety of foods…
If you can answer these six questions, you can get your dining room and any other room in your home for that matter, decorated to your highest standards! Dining rooms are often times set aside from other areas of the house. Sure, they are close to the kitchen, but they are often rooms unto themselves…
Well, figuratively, not literally, but if you move your hobbies or workout to the garage, it does create more space inside! Matt and I are all about the idea of multi-purpose rooms and the garage is no different. Think about it, the garage is a very large space that is a good percentage of our homes…
Who doesn’t want to have their pillows and lamps shades reflect their own personalities? Well, with these projects you can do just that. As you all know by now, the accessories are the final addition to any room design and I have a couple projects to show you here that allow you to customize some…
Instead of throwing away those beautiful winter scenes and holiday photos from your Chritmas cards, cut them up and turn them into fun puzzles to entertain both kids and adults! We all enjoy getting Christmas cards, but they are not without problems. Should you display all your holiday greetings, or just keep them all in…
Aside from tips on unqiue places to hang it, you’ll learn the history of the beautiful Christmas wreath. This year, I thought it would be nice to tell you a little bit of the history of the Christmas Wreath. Just consider its shape; the circle has no beginning and no end and some say this is…
That’s right! Use up those brown lunch bags and make yourself a great album for your holiday memories. As much fun to make as it is to look through! We all know scrap booking has been a popular hobby. Supplies are available almost everywhere and the array is amazing. There are papers, stickers, embellishments, die…
Sew up a lovely velvet slipcover for a headboard to give any room a fresh change – and the holidays are the perfect time to give it a try. This project doesn’t have to be for Christmas, but it certainly is the time of year when we pay special attention to the décor in our…
This Christmas album is a nice project for older children that need a little direction during holiday break. It takes some time and attention, but I think they will enjoy filling it up with photos of their friends and family. It might even be a project that they could attempt to make as a gift…
Stocking stuffers are difficult to figure out, but these candy coins will make every stocking searcher happy because they can use the cash to purchase exactly what they want! You’d expect me to show you several of these since they are so small, but it’s tough to hang onto money these days, even if it…
This is a holiday craft that looks great, helps to support the holiday season and works hard for you because they are more than just decorative, their kitchen essentials! Go ahead and admit it, these are adorable! And, I think they would be the perfect homemade gift for the woman who has everything. I say this…
To many families, their pets are their kids and they pamper them just like they were one of them. Well, these fleece pet pillows are the ultimate in pet comfort – you’ll see, it’ll take about a minute for them to figure it out! For years Matt and I have been concentrating all our efforts on…
You need to be able to sew, staple, and handle a few toold, but it’s actually rather easy to build your own ottoman! Let’s just start by saying our friend Donna really knows her stuff. She can sew a circle around anyone I know and she has so much fun doing it. She and I…
Selecting something special for an area of your home makes it just that, “special”, and helps it stand out in your neighborhood with eye popping curb appeal. There’s nothing better than a well kept exterior. Why? Well because if you keep it in good shape, it will protect you for years and years to come. …
There’s a chance that if you update your family room, you could bring your family closer together! Family rooms are the perfect place for a busy family to meet at the end of the day or on the weekends to spend time together. Usually there’s plenty of comfortable seating, sometimes a fireplace and almost always…
If you love quilts but can’t sew, how about taking the time to learn a little bit about watercolor painting and paint a quilt for your walls! Matt and I know that quilting is near and dear to many of your hearts. Aside from you telling us about it when we see you out and…
It’s important to learn how to create a color “story” for your home because it helps tie all your rooms together making a cohesive design statement. When it comes to pulling your home together and making a color story for it, a good place to start is in your entry. And, the entry in this…
If you are a person who loves to sew, you will be amazed by all of the information our friend Donna has put into this book of sewing knowledge and projects. Matt and I are so lucky. In our business we get to meet some very talented people, and I’m proud to say that I…
Holidays are supposed to be about family, traditions and fun, but it’s important to think about safety at the holidays as well. My suggestion is to think about it a couple days before so you can relax on the big day! Here are a few things to think about the week before Thanksgiving. Regarding the…
Running out of time for making extravagant holiday decorations? Well, here are a few ideas to help keep you sane this Thanksgiving while still reaping the compliments you work so hard for! Make it Natural! Indian corn, gourd pumpkins, and squashes can provide a touch of fall to any table. They can be placed in…
This easy bat costume could also be used as the caped crusader costume with the addition of a few creative bat decals. My son, Cameron was always interested in my sewing. Of course so are my cats. I guess young eyes see the sewing machine as a true marvel. I guess I still do too! Well…
This totally unusual spaghetti and meatballs costume is easy to make and it is an outstanding idea for a costume contest. I honestly don’t remember how we got started with the spaghetti and meatball costume, but we had a ball with it! No pun intended! Notice that it, like many of the other costumes we have been…
The most important piece to this costume is the rat hat and the rest can be sweats or a T-shirt and shorts depending on the weather. You dirty rat! Instead of a sweat suit, although in northern climates, a sweat suit in gray would be perfect for this costume; in Florida we wear shorts and T-shirts! …
You will amaze your friends and Halloween party goers with this easy to create grapes or blueberries costume. The first time I made a costume like this was when my daughter was about four or five. At that time she had a purple sweat suit that I pinned purple balloons to. I made a leaf…
